Button-hole attachment for sewing-machines



(Model.)

S. J. BAIR'D.

Button Hole Attachment for Sewing Maohinef's. No. 242,248. PatentedMay31,1881.

19am- L- k 0 gvuuuummuuuuuuuu OOO OO l ed G J1 Ld In Vel/fof NTTnnSTATES PATENT Ormea,

SAMUEL. J. BAIRD, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

BUTTON-HOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHNES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,248, dated May 31,1881.

Application filed August 12, 1880. (Model.)

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. BAIRD, of the city of Covington and Stateof Kentucky, have invented certain Improvements in Button-Hohn gAttachments for Sewin g-Machines, of which the following' is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of button-hole attaclnnents whichconsist of a clothclamp provided with devices for imparting to it a feedmotion carrying the button-hole longitudinally under the needle, and forcausing at the same time an oscillation for forming the stitch, theneedle alternately entering the slit of the button-hole, or the line onwhich it is to be cut, and the cloth back of it.

In the drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 4 are re-v spectively a plan, side,and end view of the device. The other figures represent detachedportions of it.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the cloth-clamp appears in position. It consists of twostrips of platesteel, A and B, spring-tempered, and riveted or screwedtogether at one end, a. The other end is formed into jaws for holdingthe cloth which is to be introduced between them.

In clamping the cloth it is essential that the pressure be adapted tothe thickness ofthe fabric and maintained until the operation isiinished. I-Ieretofore this has been arrived at by means ot' adaptationsof the'w'ell-known clamping-eccentric and clamping-screws with suitableaccessories and other devices which need not be specified.

In the present device the elongated extremities of the clamp-pieces areso bent that in bringing them together the points or forward extremitiesot' the clamp come together first, and the parallelism and continuouspressure ofthe two jaws are effected by the straightening of the bentelongated spring-pieces of the clamp, which is eftected .as tollows:lAbout midway between the ends of these pieces a loop or staple, C, ismade fast to the lower piece and incloses the upper, between which andthe staple a sliding` wedge, D, is inserted, the adjustments of whichare effected by means of a perpendicular flange or thumb-piece at oneend. By the sliding of this wedge such pressure is brought to bear uponthe clamppieces as causes them to straighten out, so as to thus readilybring the jaws into a parallel adjustment to any thickness of fabricb Itwill be observed that the upper side of the longitudinal wedge is agradual incline, which,-atits lower extremity, is terminated by anabrupt descent to the horizontal extension of the piece, which, restingon the clam p-piece, ends in a perpendicular thu1nb-piece. Thisconformation of the wedge is requisite to give convenient effect to thespring action of the clamppieees. The incline of the wedge is limited inits office -to the adjustments requisite for different thicknesses ot'goods, It therefore requires to be but slight and short, while theabrupt descent at its end serves to release the clamp -piecesinstantaneously and alltogether from the pressure of the wedge, andleaves the jaws free to separate for receiving the fabric. A rack cut inthe edge of the lower clamp-piece engages with the pinion E on theratchet-wheel F, Figs. 3 and 7. These, revolvin g, by means which willbe described presently, rst in one direction and then in the other,impart to the clamp and to the cloth which it carries a reciprocallongitudinal motion.

A bridge, G, Figs. 1 and 4, spans the device and holds its partstogether, being fastened to the bottom plate by screws or rivets a a atits ends. From the bridge, near its center, a flan ge or post, I, risesperpendicularly, in the upper end ot' which is the pivot-screw c, uponwhich the driving lever P, Fig. 2, is fulcrumed. Through this lever allthe movements of the attachment-are derived from the sewing-machine. Itslongarm o extends in a horizontal direction, its end being connectedwith the needle-bar of the machine by a loop to be slipped over the headof the needle-screw, or by other suitable means. The lever is thuscaused to oscillate perpendicularly in harmony with the reciprocationofthe needle-bar. The short arm p is bent downward to the bottom plateof the attachment, so that the perpendicular oscillating motion of thelong arm is converted into horizontal motion at the end of the shortone. This end enters a hole, b, cut in the pawl-carrier L, Fig. 3, thuscausing the carrier to slide back and Vforth with the motion of thelever. The carrier is a metal plate, which, by means of iianges,guide-pins,or equivaient devices, is so guided upon the bottom plate, onwhich it rests, that when driven by the lever it moves accurately in thedirection of the length of the attachment. It is fur- ICO llished withtwo pawls, T and U, by the agency of wllich all the ultimatelnovelnellts of the device are accolnplished.

The pawl T is a transverse piece ot' platemetal, at the ellds of whichtwo parallel arlns project ill the direction of the ratchetwlleel F,Fig. 3. This piece is held in position by pills, lugs, or flanges on thecarrier-plate c c, Fig. 3. The pawl is tllus carried with the plate illits longitudinal movement, but is susceptible of limited lateral adjustlllents on the carrier. The arms at-the ends of the pawl-piece are atsuch a distallce apart that wllell it approaches the ratcllet-wheel, it'adjusted on the center of the carrier-plate, neither arln will engagewith the ratchet; bllt it' set over a little to the rigllt or left onearln engages it, while the other is set ott' proportionally froln it.The ratchet alld pinion are thus caused to revolve ill the olle or otherdirectioll, or to relnaill stationary, aecording to the adjustment ofthe pawl. The ellall ges ill the position of the pawl T, by which themovements of the ratchet-wheel are thus governed, are effected by meansof a guideslot, on, ill the plate K, Figs. 3 alld 5. This plate issecured to the ullder side of the bottoln plate, Il, by means of apivot-screw, fi, Fig. 5. Moving on this pivot, the plate is sus ceptibleof a limited lateral adjustment, which is made by the operator by meansof the halldle J, by a lever, calli, alld crank, or other equivalentappliance. The slot m is by this means brought to the center ofthe lilleof movelnent, or to the one side or the other, at the pleasure oftheoperator.

The pill f, Fig. 3, in the double pawl passt-s dowll through al1 openingill the bottolll plate and ellters the guide-slot m, which it traversesill its reciprocating movement. The lateral adjustment of the plate Kwith the gllide-slot m causes a coincidelltlateral movement ofthe pinf,carrying with it the double pawl, which is thlls brought into each ofthe positions ill relation to the ratchet-wheel, as required. Theforward elld of the guide-slot is widened, so as to allow free lateralmovement to the pawl as it engages and carries forward a tooth of theratchet in the curve which it describes, alld to admit of the retreat ofthepawl witllont dragging the ratchet, while the return ofthe pin fillto the narrower part of the slot restores the pawl into position toen gage the next tooth.

A pin in the bottom piece alld three holes at I, Figs. 3 alld 5, in thewing of the adjustmellt-plate, into which it may drop, or equivalentdevices, may be used to mark the positions of adjustment.

While the feed movements are effected alld governed by tllese devicesthe lateral oscillation of the cloth-clamp is coincidently accomplishedby the following means: Fig. 5 represents the adjustment-plate K,together with a second ratchet-wheel, M, and a cam-wheel, N, which areso fastened as to revolve together, and are-pivoted on the plate by ascrew or post at q. The ratchet M has ten teeth and the camwheel veequal and equidistant knobs or cams on its periphery. These coincidewith alternate teeth on the ratchet. To the latter interrupted circularmotion is given by means of a second pawl, U, Figs. 5 alld 6, the latterof which is a perspective view. This is a transverse plate, held inposition on the pawl-carrier ill a manner similar to that of the pawl T,already described, so that it is in like lnanner susceptible of limitedlateral adjustment, which, however, takes place automatically. At ornear the end of this piece is atlange or projeetioll, a", bent downwardat a right angle,so as to pass through slots s ill the interveningpieces alld engage with the ratchet-wheel M. Across the middle of thepawl-piece is cut a slot, u, through which the point of the pivotpill qof the ratchet M projects. Toward the forward elld of the slot, on theside opposite to the pawl-flange, there is all inward illcline, by whichthe slot is narrowed in the direction of the front. The slot is cut atsuch a distance from the pawl-flange that ill the forward movelnentofthe carrier, the pawl beillg laterally adjusted by the sides of theslot engaging on the pivot-pill, the flange is brollglltill contact witha tooth ofthe ratchet, which it carries forward, the pawl shiftinglaterally by a slidillg movelnellt to correspond with the curvedescribed by the tooth. In this movement the wide elld of the slotallows the adjustmentinrelatioll to the pivot-pill q but upon theretreat of the pawl the illclille colnes in. contact with this pill,which causes the pawl to slide laterally back into position to take holdof the next tooth of the ratchet upon the next advance ofthe carrier.One tooth of the ratchet is thus moved forward at each reciprocation ofthe pawl, and with it the cam-wheel is so rotated as to presellt on agiven side alternately a projecting caln alld a blank or plain segmentof the wheel.

The clamp-piece A, Figs. 1, 2, and 7, in its longitudinalmovement,slides on the clalnpslide 0, side flanges on which, r l', fit to itsparallel sides. Two flanges or posts, t t, Figs. 4 alld 5, on the tailof the clamp-slide descend througll the bottom plate and embrace thecamwheel between them. The distance between these posts is equal to thegreatest diameter of the cam-wheel. The result of the revollltion ot'the latter is that the cams engage the posts alternately on the one sideand the other, tllus cansin g all oscillation of the clamp-slide, whichis pivoted on the axis of the ratchet and pinion F E, Figs. l and 7.Through the flanges r o* this oscillation is transmitted from theclalnp-slide to the clalnp, with the feed motion of which it coincides.

The adjustment of the pawl U alld operation of the device here describedwill be equally accolnplished whether the slot u is ill the pawl alldthe pin or post q ill the adjllstlnellt-plate or the reverse.

The pivot on which the ratchet alld caln wheels M and N revolve being apost or screw, g, in the adjustment-plate K, it is laterally shifted,andthe wheels with it, by the movementsof that plate, as alreadydescribed, for

IOS

IlO

engaging the double pawl alternately with the opposite sides of itsratchet F. This consequent alternate engagement of the arms of thedouble pawl with the ratchet F operates to produce two sets ofoscillations adjacent and parallel, one in the forward movement of theclamp and the other on its return. The two sides of the button-hole arethus in succession presented to the needle, and thereby formed, and theadjustment of the plate on the middle releases the ratchet from theaction ot' the double pawl, as already explained, and thus suspends thefeed movement, while the oscillation, continuing on the lineintermediatebetween the two sides ofthe button-hole, plants a few stitches acrossthe end.

The combination of ratchet-wheel, double pawl, and adjustment-plate forarresting and reversing` the circular movement of the ratchet F, asherein described, is as applicable to a scroll or cam movement as to therack and pinion here specified.

The mode of operation ofthe different parts ofthe device has been shownsuiciently in the details already given in the foregoing specilication.

What l claim as new and of my invention l. In combination, ltheelongated spring cloth-clamp, staple C, and the wedge having athumb-piece and a gradual incline, terminating in an abrupt descent tothat portion of the wedge which rests on the clamp-plate, substantiallyas and for the purposes specified.

2. In combination, the elongated spring 3 5 cloth-clamp, staple C,andthe Wedge whose upper side consists of a gradual incline, terminatingin an abrupt descent to the horizontal extension ot the piece, which,resting on the clamp-plate, ends in a perpendicular thuinb- 4o piece,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. A springless double pawl, T, laterally adjustable, with a pintraversing the slot m in a guide-piece, iu combination with aratchetwheel, F, and clam p-slide, substantially as and for the purposesspecified. y

4. A slide-pawl, U, adjustable to the ratchet M by a slot and piu, incombination with the ratchet and cam wheels and clamp-slide,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. The ratchet and cam wheels M and N, in combination with theadjustment-plate, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. rlhe ratchet and cam wheels M and N, in combination with anges orposts on the clamp-slide, substantially as and for the purposes specied.

7. The combination ot' the ratchet and cam wheels, the clampslideprovided with flanges or posts t t, the plate K, provided with a pin, q,and slide-pawl U, provided with the slot u,

substantiall y as and for the purposes specified.

SAMUEL J.' BAIRD.

ttest:

J. J. BAIRD, E. G. BAIRD.

